Japan 2016

Hi everybody. It's Lily! My mum said to write this one because we were in Japan longer than them. So, here is Roan in the Japan Airport.

We are on the train from the airport to downtown Tokyo.  The ride is about one hour long. 

Here is a street that we went down. There were so many people and little shops set up along the sides. It was just around lunch time so we went and had lunch at an all you can eat Indian restaurant. 

After lunch we went to the hotel and dropped off our stuff. Then we walked down the street to the Imperial Gardens.  There was a bunch of plants and people.  It was free to get in.   

From this tower you can see Mount Fuji, but it was closed, so we couldn't get in. 

We walked for along time and finally got to rest. 

The next day Roan and I were heading to a summer camp. But before we left, we had lunch at this pancake place in Tokyo Station. 

These are the kids heading there, but some of our other camp mates were at the camp already. 

This is the first day of camp and we are doing morning stretches before breakfast. 

This is where we went most of the days after lunch. This beach had huge waves. 

Here Roan is with two of the CITS (Counselor In Training) from the first week. 

We had to write a journal each night. 

The next day, we split into three groups and Roan and my group went on a bike ride.
I'm going to pass this on to Roan, so here he is. 

Hi this is the Roan part, so this is me and one of our counselor,s Reataru.  We are eating sushi for lunch at the beach.

This is lily with Ayano at the second week of  camp

This is Lily's second week group.

Smile for the picture,

1 second later.

Second week at the camp, going shell hunting.

Roan with friends at the shell beach.  The tide was out, so there were lots of shells and sea creatures.

Nambo Destroyer !!!!!!

Lily writing her journal.

Camp fire for everyone, everyone has to sing a song.

We had a really great time at the camp and can't wait to go back when Lily will be a CIT.

Seattle 2016

So now we are off the cruise ship, out of Alaska, and in Seattle.  Our hotel was within walking distance of the Pike Street Public Market, so we headed out for a walk.

This is the famous fish market, where they throw the fist around when you buy them.  I think in my closet in NH I have a picture of my favorite cousin named Danny and me in this same spot.  I'll have to look for it this winter when we go home.

Another Man VS Food spot... the Crab Pot.  We are about to head inside. 

At the Crab Pot they have about 30 different micro brews, and more than that in bottles, but when you are in Seattle, you have to have at least one Rainier, the PBR of Washington. 

The "Famous Seafest" comes in a big metal bowl (or two), which is dumped on the table.  We got three types of crab, steamers, scallops, potatoes, and corn on the cob; also, four bibs, hammers, and crab poker things. 

Cheers!

In the battle of Man VS Food, we won! 

Next day.  We are taking the Seattle Tram elevated rail to the Space Needle.  

The Space Needle is really cute, and it is amazing to think that it was built back in the 1960s.  

Next to the Space Needle is a glass blowing museum,

and a park.

We were only there a few days, but we had a great time.  The kids also got to try their first Twinkie!  They agreed that one was enough.

Our last view of glaciers and ice covered lands... until this winter!  What an amazing trip.  

Alaska Cruise 2016

Finally getting on board... just a few more minutes!

Here it is... let's get the party started!  

Leaving the port... 

It is never too early for a dunk in the pool.  

The view of the water from the boat.  Maybe someone who knows something about this area can tell me about the steam that seems to be coming out of the water.  From far away I thought it was a boat, but as we got closer, it looks like steam or maybe the loch ness monster breathing... anyone?

Best buds getting ready for a soccer kick-off.   

First port stop, Ketchikan.  

The town was built along the waterfront, and there are lots of historic areas that were quite nice.   There are parts of the walking tour that are not so great, but it was still interesting to see.  

Our boat, along with others in the harbor. 

It is really hard to get a good picture of any wildlife in the water, as you can maybe tell from this shot of a seal.  After this I pretty much gave up on taking pictures of water animals, although on this trip we did see sea lions, lots of different whales, seals, and eagles. 

Second stop, Juneau.  One of my favorite places on this trip.  Juneau is the capital of Alaska, but you can only reach it by boat or plane.  There are no roads connecting Juneau with the rest of Alaska.  

In Juneau, we took a walking tour, and then a bus tour to Mendenhall Glacier.  This view is of the harbor, from the other side.

We started where it says, You Are Here, and walked that purple path, which is called Nugget Falls path.  It is the closest you can get to this glacier without going on it by helicopter. 

The glacier looks blue because the ice is packed so tightly that it acts like a prism, absorbing all of the other colors, but reflecting the blue light. 

Nugget falls are to the right, and the glacier is on the left. The water is ice melt, and about 34 degrees Fahrenheit.  

This is the glacier from the visitor center.

The views from everywhere are amazing.  

Next stop, Skagway, which was one of the original entrance points for prospectors trying to get into the Yukon during the gold-rush.  

In Skagway, we walked part of the Chilkoot trail, and then rafted down the river.

Bear claw marks on the tree.  This is from a brown bear.

And from a black bear.

The water is beautiful, but wicked cold, 34 degrees.  Our guide said that if you fall into water this cold, it is about 15 minutes before you become unconscious from hypothermia.  No thanks.  

Testing the water, with boots on.  You can feel the cold seeping right through them.  

The kids and our guide.  

After the float, we got dropped off at the far end of Skagway so that we would only have to walk one way to see the town.  Here is the historical museum.  It is totally worth the admission price of $2 for adults and $1 for kids.  There was a video with history of the area, tons of stuff on display, and a great book shop.  

Look at those mountains! 

Cool view, right?  We couldn't go to see the Hubbard Glacier because the ice and fog, so we will have to go back to see that one.

Now we are in Glacier Bay National Park.   These glaciers are so massive it is hard to do it justice with a picture.  

Time to get off the boat, in Seward.  From here, we took the Alaskan Railway to Anchorage.  

We were in Anchorage for the 4th of July.  Unfortunately, because the sun sets at about 11PM, we did not get to see any fireworks. 

We did go to Humpy's, though, from Man VS Food.  While we didn't take the food challenge, we did eat reindeer burgers and crab cakes.  

Wicked good!